This week in dance music: Tokimonsta announced the cancellation of her fall tour and postponement of her new album, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan hit NYC with their Sweat tour, Massive Attack announced a new series of climate action gigs, artists including SG Lewis and Mary Droppinz were announced as players in the electronic industry charity soccer tournament Copa del Rave, Barry Can’t Swim released his blazing hot “Still Riding,” the posthumous Sophie album was surprise-released weeks before it was scheduled to drop, Dom Dolla scored six ARIA award nominations, Kylie Minogue talked about the bananas success of “Padam Padam” then released another dancefloor banger, we premiered a performance with DJ Mita Gami and a 37-person orchestra that happened at Burning Man last month, FORM Arcosanti dropped the set times for its upcoming fest and we spoke with the founder of an annual dance show for charity that happens on the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville.

Beyond that, so many albums! These are the best new dance projects of the week.

Eli & Fur, Dreamscapes

The London-born, Los Angeles-based duo release their second album, Dreamscapes, with the project sounding as hypnotic and ethereal as its name suggests. The pair maintain a depth and delicacy throughout, even when they dial up the bass lines and BPM. Altogether it’s a sleek, sophisticated, no-skips effort, with a song for each phase of the night — from getting yourself ready, to falling in love on that dancefloor to the moment of sunrise that’s as much a feeling as a naturally occurring daily event. The pair play a tight trio of shows in Los Angeles, New York City and London starting Oct. 12.

Lane 8, Childish

Earlier this month it became clear something was happening, or about to happen, in the Lane 8 universe when the artist wiped his Instagram account. Not long after, an assemblage of footage of the producer as a child — playing the piano, dressed up for Halloween, pulling his sister in a wagon — was posted. Three days later, on Sept. 16, he announced his fifth studio album, Childish. There would be no singles, just a complete album, out today. The artist himself summarizes the project’s ethos best, writing that as he’s watched his own children become more creative, “I understand now how important creating has always been for my own mental well being, and my sense of pride and worth. I remember such vivid feelings of infinite possibility while creating as a kid.

“Thinking about all of this made me realize that my own approach to art has changed a lot over the years,” he continues. “When you make a living off your art, people need to like what you make for the whole thing to work. A pressure to please others starts to creep into the creative process, whether you want it to or not. It was only by watching our kids create that I fully appreciated how much my own process had changed. It hurt to admit it at first, but what followed was a new sense of liberation and motivation, because i knew it didn’t have to be that way.”

The 10-track project, which features collaborations with Kasablanca, Sultan + Shepherd and more, is out on Lane 8’s own This Never Happened label.

Ben Böhmer, Bloom

The inimitable Ben Böhmer returns with his third studio album, Bloom, a nine-track demonstration of all the depth, lushness and absolute feeling the German producer is a master of. Out on Ninja Tune, the project finds him collaborating with luminaries like Lykke Li, Oh Wonder and Enfant Sauvage, the producer who’s also one half of The Blaze. Together this latter artist and Böhmer absolutely send it one of the album’s centerpieces, “Evermore,” a cinematic showstopper that balances an exquisite string arrangement, a shimmering bridge and production with serious muscle. Böhmer plays this weekend at Portola in San Francisco.

TSHA, Sad Girl

Almost exactly two years after the release of her debut album, Capricorn Sun, TSHA returns with its followup, Sad Girl. The album opens with a spoken word collab with London-based poet Dan Whitlam, who proclaims the album’s thesis statement, “sometimes the sad feels better than feeling good, and that’s okay.” And in a music scene that’s perpetually pushing ideas of dancing! and fun! and that any given night at the club just might be the greatest night of your life!, TSHA here acknowledges that life sometimes the world and the dancefloor get awful blue, too — expressing the idea over a dozen tracks, and for the first time putting her own vocals on a few of them. The punchy, swirly “Take” is a standout, and the album closes with the equally tough and stylish “Fight.”

Justice, “Neverender (Kaytranada Remix)”

“Neverender,” a single and standout from Justice’s April album Hyperdrama gets an edit from fellow master Kaytranada, who strips the song or much of its heft, trading out the punchy layers of the original and swapping them for echo-ey drums, strings and a lot of chimes. Kaytra’s airy take comes alongside another warm edit from Rampa of Keinemusic. In addition to all that, Justice has released a new video for the original “Neverender,” which bathes the eyes in vintage anime. Justice plays Portola in San Francisco this weekend and will make their Hollywood Bowl debut on October 4.

Lszee, Lszee

After months of hype, French bass titan CloZee and the proudly heady producer Lsdream release their collaborative self-titled album. Playing like ear salve for anyone who enjoys camping festivals, bass music and tie-dye (preferably all at the same time), the album melds each producer’s celestially-leaning, world music influenced and thoroughly pummeling styles into a groovy, deep, totally fun 13-track collection. The spacey “Wook Whistle” is a sly nod to the fact that these two know exactly in which realm their hardcore fans exist, with the pair headlining the genre nexus of Red Rock Amphitheatre on Oct. 5-6 before headlining the Brooklyn Mirage October 12.

Indicted hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been hit with yet another civil lawsuit, claiming that he repeatedly drugged and sexually assaulted an unnamed model over a four year period.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in New York state court, the accuser – identified only as a Florida model under the pseudonym Jane Doe – says that Combs abused her on multiple occasions from 2020 to earlier this year, often after giving her drugs and using other coercive tactics.

The allegations from the woman – at least the twelfth victim to accuse Combs of sexual abuse of over the last year – echo claims made by federal prosecutors in a sweeping indictment unsealed last week, which detailed elaborate, drug-fueled “freak off” performances involving numerous victims.

“Combs would make her ‘perform a show’ for him and would ply her with alcohol and substances until she passed out,” her lawyers write. “Throughout the four years, defendant Combs would consistently pressure Jane Doe adding other men and women into the bedroom despite Jane Doe being clear that she did not want others involved.”

The accuser says Combs and others used “coercive and harassing language” to force her to agree to his demands, including making “threatening jokes” to her that caused her to “fear for her safety if she did not comply.” She says he and others even tracked her location and monitored her conversations.

At one point in 2022, the accuser says she became pregnant shortly after a sexual encounter with Combs. After she shared the news with Combs, her lawyers say one of his associates “harassed Jane Doe by repeatedly calling her and telling Jane Doe to have an abortion.” She says she later suffered a miscarriage.

Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, was once one of the most powerful men in the music industry. But over the past year, he has faced a flood of civil abuse lawsuits, starting with a high-profile case filed late last year by his former longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura. That case quickly settled, but it was later corroborated by a widely shared video of Combs assaulting her at a hotel, and it was followed by numerous other cases with similar allegations.

Then last week, federal prosecutors unveiled a sweeping indictment, accusing Combs of operating a criminal enterprise centered on a “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.”

“For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” reads the indictment, which was obtained by Billboard. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.”

Even after the criminal charges, new civil cases have continued to be filed. Earlier this week, a woman named Thalia Graves filed a case claiming that Combs and another man another man “viciously raped” her New York City studio in 2001 – and that they filmed the encounter.

Combs is currently behind bars after a federal judge refused to grant him bail, ruling that he would pose a flight risk and might seek to intimidate witnesses and victims if released. The criminal case is pending, with a trial likely still months away.

On this week’s (Sept. 6) episode of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century podcast, we take a look at a pair of Tennessee natives: Fictional pop superstar turned IRL pop superstar Miley Cyrus (No. 15) and *NSYNC spotlight-stealer-turned-solo game-changer Justin Timberlake (No. 14).

First, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Social Media Manager Danielle Pascual and Billboard Pride Editor Stephen Daw to talk about Miley Cyrus’ one-of-a-kind career path from Hannah Montana to “Flowers.” We discuss why the Billboard staff (and its Zillennials in particular) seems to have a particular rooting interest in Cyrus’ career, revisit the highs and lows of the unforgettable Bangerz era, and defend some personal favorites from her long journey back to the top of the charts. We also introduce a new category to our closing lightning round of questions to be able to properly ask: Are we sure “Flowers” was really that good?

Then, we welcome back a pair of returning GPS podcast guests in Billboard Executive Director of Music Jason Lipshutz and R&B/Hip-Hop Chart Manager Trevor Anderson to talk about the two uneven halves of Justin Timberlake’s 21st century-spanning career: 15 years of near-uninterrupted ascendance, followed by a last decade that’s seen him take a bit of a tumble. We share memories from the late days of *NSYNC and early days of his solo breakout, zoom in on what made him the top pop star in the entire game for at least one album cycle, and explain why his 20/20 Experience era was both the absolute peak for his career and a foreshadowing of his decade to follow. And of course, we offer Super Bowl memories — from both 2004 and 2018 — and ask what, if anything, JT can do to turn around his career momentum in present day.

Listen to our latest below, catch up on our past episodes here, and be sure to subscribe to Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century series wherever you get your podcasts! (New episodes will be revealed every Friday, following the publishing of our two new Greatest Pop Star rankings for that week.)

In need of some new tunes from your favorite queer artists? We’re here to help — Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

From Lady Gaga’s Joker-inspired new album to Willow’s new team-up with Kamasi Washington, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.

Lady Gaga, Harlequin

From what little we’ve seen of Harleen “Lee” Quinzel in the upcoming film Joker: Folie à Deux, it’s safe to say that Lady Gaga’s character is not so easy to describe. Yet Gaga sets out to do just that on Harlequin, her freewheeling new album that explores Harley Quinn’s psyche through a blur of genre-defying songs. Blasting her way through modernized, reimagined versions of jazz standards and classic showtunes (“Get Happy,” “That’s Life” and “Good Morning” among them), Gaga also takes a moment to deliver deeply personal, emotive original tracks, like on album standout “Happy Mistake.” As fans keep waiting for the singer’s long-awaited seventh studio album, Harlequin offers a moment of respite in the chaotic soundscape of her twisted character’s mind.

Willow feat. Kamasi Washington, “Wanted”

One of the standout tracks on Willow’s new deluxe version of her excellent 2024 album Empathogen is “Wanted,” a flittering, frantic new song that perfectly encapsulates the singer’s experimental approach to her latest project. Calling up saxophone aficionado Kamasi Washington for an assist, “Wanted” sees the young singer flipping between tempos, genres and lyrical ideas as she insists that the “wanted to run” before falling back into the routine of a relationship: “I wanna be infatuated” she breathes on this head-spinning new song.

Sophie, SOPHIE

Trying to communicate all the Sophie was in a single album is a virtually impossible task — yet Benny Long, the late producer’s brother, does a commendable job on Sophie, the posthumous album comprising of 16 songs the pop iconoclast worked on up until her untimely death. Spanning techno, pop, R&B and industrial experimental sounds, this undulating project takes listeners on a journey all throughout Sophie’s many different sonic touchpoints, while offering slots to featured guests on the way — including Hannah Diamond, Kim Petras, Bibi Bourelly and more — to pay tribute to the icon one final time.

Michelle, Songs About You Specifically

Welcome to New York pop collective Michelle’s imperial pop phase. On their third album Songs About You Specifically, the group embraces the cult of personality built around boy bands and girl groups, alongside their off-kilter sonic stylings, to make a record that sounds like an instant classic from the moment it starts. The sweltering, talk-box assisted stylings of “Akira,” in particular, stand out as an all-timer in the band’s discography. Songs About You Specifically may not fit into a clean-cut genre, but that’s what makes Michelle’s new effort that much more fascinating to hear.

Towa Bird, “Rat Race”

In 2024, Towa Bird has been enjoying a new level of popularity among music fans — now, she’d like to talk about the work it took to get here. On “Rat Race,” the British guitarist goes out of her way to point out the troubling trend of streaming algorithms, label execs and nefarious external forces trying to dictate the way her career ought to go — “High notes when you’re singing my praise/ Low lows, I don’t get enough plays,” she seethes on the punk-inspired opening verse. Through fuzzy guitar lines and drum section that never relents, Bird makes her feelings clear: “Go f–k your stupid f–kin’ rat race.”

Katie Gavin, “Inconsolable”

When Katie Gavin said that she was inspired by Lilith Fair for her solo album, she was not joking. “Inconsolable,” the latest single off her forthcoming LP What a Relief, sees Gavin diving headfirst into the folk-forward singer-songwriter aesthetic, complete with devastatingly honest lyrics, beautiful banjo and fiddle orchestrations, and a vocal that conveys all the pain and wonder of choosing to keep trying in a relationship. Fans of MUNA’s stunning ballad “Kind of Girl” are in for a treat when they hear Gavin absolutely nail this gorgeous folksy ode.

Michaela Jaé, 33

Michaela Jaé is here to let you have it — on her debut album 33, the Pose and Loot star declares that she is a musical force to be reckoned with. Telling the story of her own journey of self-discovery through the lens of an android (named Model 33F7) re-integrating her own memories to find out who she truly is. Over a buffet of power pop (“I Am”), R&B (“Forever”) and funk (“Started From”), Jaé accomplishes her goal — and successfully re-introduces herself to the world.

Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:

Tee Grizzley has been on a good run.

First, he had Future on “Swear to God,” where the Atlanta rapper teased his recent mixtape by mentioning his alter-ego Pluto multiple times and starting the chorus off by rapping, “F—k your album, s—t ain’t slappin’ like my mixtape.” Then, Tee linked up with fellow Detroit rapper 42 Dugg on a song fittingly named after their hometown. And now he gets an insane feature verse from an energized J. Cole on “Blow for Blow.”

Directed by Jerry Production, the video shows Cole and Tee making their way through NYC as they put on an exercise in lyrical ability. Cole’s lines stand out the most, though. He starts his verse of with raps like, “Blow for blow, Cole flow just prestigious/Sweats and tees, no unnecessary accessories, the GOAT just from features/Proceed with throat-cut procedures,” reminding fans that he’s still one of the game’s best, even if he laid his sword down before the Battle of the Big 3 got a little weird.

Tee Grizzley did his thing, too. He sets his part off with, “OK, chain nastier than cow manure, bust down my shooter, saw more wires than a bomb defuser,” as he followed up Cole’s “Mo Money, Mo Problems” Mase homage on the chorus, where he spits, “Now, who hot? Who not?/Tell me, who flopped? Who sell out the tours/Who rap with trap n—as that wet up your doors?/Who go harder than them and never let off before?/Who got your wh—e pokin’ her head out the door?“

Tee is expected to finally drop his fifth solo album, Post Traumatic, on Oct. 11.